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Arrests and Riot Gear Mark end of London's Carnival

by Dave Keating | August 26, 2008 at 12:26 am

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London's yearly Notting Hill carnival, the largest street party in Eurpe, is often marred by violence. This year was no exception. On the last night of Carnival a group of around 40 people hurled bottles at police officers, and one officer was injured after being hit in the fact with a bottle.

Of course with such a massive event, such limited violence is to be expected. More than a million people attended the festival, which celebrates London's Carribean community.

Police were pelted with bottles when they were involved in two separate stand-offs with young men and teenagers during the Notting Hill Carnival.

About 180 youths were stopped and seven arrested outside Oval cricket ground in south London, as police prevented a large group from going to the carnival.

Later officers were pelted with bottles when they clashed with 40 people in a separate incident in Ladbroke Grove.

Eyewitnesses described the Ladbroke Grove clash as a "full-scale battle".

One officer suffered facial injuries during the skirmish, police said.

In the first incident, on Monday afternoon, officers stopped a group of about 180 people in Harleyford Road, outside the Oval.